Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn | Orkney Islands | Neolithic | History of Scotland | Before Caledonia

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A journey through Scotland's ancient sites.

WIDEFORD HILL CHAMBERED CAIRN | KIRKWALL | ORKNEY | SCOTLAND

ON MAINLAND ORKNEY, TWO MILES WEST OF KIRKWALL ON THE OLD FINSTOWN ROAD IS WIDEFORD HILL CHAMBERED TOMB. A NEOLITHIC SITE DATED TO 3100BC WHICH WAS REDISCOVERED IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY BY A FEW LOCAL BOYS. THE CAIRN IS IN THE CARE OF HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND.

THE SMALL CAR PARK HAS STUNNING ELEVATED VIEWS OVER KIRKWALL. A HALF MILE WALK OVER WIDEFORD HILL ON A ROUGH MUDDY PATH TAKES YOU TO THE TOMB. THERE IS BEAUTIFUL SCENERY OF THE ORKNEY LANDSCAPE INCLUDING THE TWO ISLANDS OF HOLM OF GRIMBISTER AND DAMSAY ON THE BAY OF FIRTH. A SHARP EYE WILL MAKE OUT THE SIMILAR CUWEEN HILL CAIRN.

WIDEFORD HILL IS BLANKETED BY HEATHER AND MANY ANIMALS THRIVE ON THE TERRAIN INCLUDING THE ORKNEY VOLE. THIS ANIMAL WAS BROUGHT TO THE ISLAND BY SEAFARERS FROM THE NEOLITHIC ERA. WIDEFORD HILL IS LESS VISITED BUT JUST ONE OF ORKNEYS VERY IMPRESSIVE PREHISTORIC SITES. FILMING INSIDE THE CHAMBER PROVED VERY DIFFICULT WITH THE CONFINED SPACE AND FURTHER OBSTRUCTION OF THE ENTRANCE LADDER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOMB.

OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS CONSTRUCTED THE TOMB ON A MANMADE LEVELLED OFF BASE. THIS WAS DUG INTO THE HILLSIDE AND IS A FINE CONSTRUCTION, STILL IN REMARKABLE CONDITION AFTER FIVE MILLENNIA. THIS IS TESTAMENT TO THE MAJOR ENGINEERING AND MULTI SKILLED WORK BY PREHISTORIC PEOPLE. THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE IS REMINISCENT OF MAESHOWE.

THE SITE IS NOW ENTERED THROUGH A SLIDING HATCH IN THE MODERN ROOF. LADDERS GO DOWN INTO THE MAIN 3M HIGH CORBELED CHAMBER WHICH NARROWS UPWARDS. ORIGINALLY THE MAIN COMPARTMENT WAS ENTERED BY A VERY AWKWARD LOW PASSAGE, 5.5 METERS LONG WHICH IS ILLUMINATED BY THE SETTING SUN IN LATE FEBRUARY.

AT GROUND LEVEL THREE SMALL SUBSIDIARY CELLS OR CHAMBERS, BRANCH OFF FROM THE MAIN COMPARTMENT. ON THE INSIDE WALL OF THE MAIN CHAMBER IS RARE NEOLITHIC SCRATCH ART FROM 3000BC. SIMILAR MARKS ARE FOUND AT SKARA BRAE, A FEW OF THESE ANCIENT DESIGNS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY MODERN GRAFFITI.

ON THE SITES FIRST EXCAVATION IN 1849 BY GEORGE PETRIE AN ANTIQUARIAN. THE MAIN CHAMBER WAS TWO THIRDS FILLED WITH RUBBLE. THE SITE HAD BEEN INTENTIONALLY FILLED IN AFTER ITS CONSTRUCTION. THE CAIRN HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PLUNDERED AND ROBBED. HUMAN REMAINS WERE NOT FOUND HOWEVER ANIMAL BONE AND TEETH WERE UNCOVERED.

HOWARD KILBRIDE-JONES EXCAVATED IN 1935 AND FOLLOWING THIS THE SITE WAS RECONSTRUCTED TO REVEAL THE CIRCULAR, THREE CONCENTRIC RING, STEPPED DESIGN.

REMNANTS OF A SETTLEMENT WAS FOUND DURING EXCAVATION AT THE BOTTOM OF WIDEFORD HILL. THIS SETTLEMENT IS LIKELY CONTEMPORARY WITH THE TOMB, THIS SUGGESTS A RELATIONSHIP. THE SITE MAY HAVE SERVED AS SOME KIND OF CEREMONIAL BUILDING FOR THE SETTLEMENT BELOW.

THE ORIGINAL FUNCTION OR LIKELY MULTI-FUNCTIONAL USE OF THE SITE IS LONG LONG LOST TO US. A FEW THEORIES ARE, CEREMONY, RITUAL, INITIATION, MEDITATION, A WOMB TOMB INTO MOTHER EARTH & CONTACTING THE ANCESTORS.

ORKNEYS NEW STONE AGE INHABITANTS WOULD HAVE CROUCHED DOWN ON THEIR KNEES TO ENTER THE PITCH BLACK TUNNEL AND MADE A JOURNEY FROM DAYLIGHT TO THE DARKNESS OF THE CENTRAL AND OFF SHOOT CHAMBERS FOR A LONG LOST NEOLITHIC CEREMONY PERHAPS CONDUCTED BY THE LOCAL SHAMAN.

A BIG THANKS TO OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS.